Plus-Sized/Curvy Romance Heroines That I Adore

It's no secret that I love to read, and hands down my favorite genre is romance. My one stipulation, however, is that there seems to be very few love stories centered around a curvy or plus-sized woman. As a plus-sized woman myself, I became determined to hunt down the stories that were centered around these women, and give them the attention they deserve. And of course, I had to share them with you all!

Here are eight different romance novels that feature a curvy or plus-sized heroine, and my rating and thoughts on each one. I also included a link to each book so you can check these out for yourself.

Happy reading!

1. If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

My rating: 4.5/5 stars

My spice rating: 1/5 flames

This book is like if The Bachelor, Cinderella and Project Runway all had a baby together. It centers around Cindy, the fashion-loving, plus-size heroine who is so easy to root for right from the start. Cindy ends up as the first and only plus-sized contestant on a Bachelor-esque reality dating show, which of course causes a huge stir around the country. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way, including the main male character and star of the reality show, Henry. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I'll just say that this book had me on my toes until the very last page! This book is great if you want to get into the romance genre, but don't know where to start.

Read Cindy and Henry's story here.

2. Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

My rating: 5/5 stars

My spice rating: 2.5/5 flames

My best friend recommended this book to me because she had read a few others by the same author, and I'm so glad I listened to her! Getting to know Chloe Brown was like getting to know a long lost friend. She had me laughing out loud the whole way through the book, and I truly loved getting to know her in this story. Chloe lives with chronic pain from her fibromylagia, and I LOVED that Talia Hibbert included that rep in this book - we need more stories centered around people who live with chronic pain. Her love story with the main male character, Red, was so sweet. He has a heart of gold, and can't get enough of Chloe! I, of course, also LOVED the interracial couple rep, too! Red and Chloe are definitely opposites attract, but in the best way possible, and I highly recommend picking up this book.

Read Chloe and Red's story here.

3. Hail Mary by Kandi Steiner

My rating: 5/5 stars

My spice rating: 4/5 flames

When I tell you guys that I truly couldn't get enough of this book, please believe me! I'm not kidding when I tell you that I read it in, like, 48 hours flat because I couldn't put it down. Leo and Mary's love story is so special, and touched my heart right from Chapter One. Mary immediately grew on me, because shes so independent, spunky and owns her curves. There are a few moments where she lets some insecurities about her body come out, but for the most part, shes a "take me as I am or leave me" kind of gal, which I LOVED. And of course, Leo worships the hell out of her body. I mean, those spice scenes were HOT, yall! I would recommend this book ten times over!

Click here to ready Mary and Leo's story.

4. All The Feels by Olivia Dade

My rating: 5/5 stars

My spice rating: 2.5/5 flames

Olivia Dade, like Julie Murphy, is one of the founding queens of writing romance novels centering plus-sized heroines. She has a collection of other titles she's written, but this was actually my first time reading her. All The Feels was a really fun read for me! It started out a little slow, but once it got rolling, I couldn't put it down. It's one of those books that takes you on a journey, starting with forced proximity and two characters who don't know how to make heads or tails of other person. Alex, the main male character, is so loveable and endearing, even in his flaws, and I loved the way he fell head over heels for Wren, the plus-sized heroine. Wren has a really tough exterior, and was slow to let her walls down, but as the book progresses you start to see why, especially with the story setting of Hollywood, and the fatphobic remarks that get thrown her way. All The Feels is sweet, funny and definitely a book you should add to your collection.

Read Alex and Wren's story here.

5. Blindsided by Amy Daws

My rating: 4/5 stars

My spice rating: 2.5/5 flames

If you love a good best friends-to-lovers story, Blindsided is for you! Someone needs to make this book into a rom-com movie, because goodness gracious it would be perfect for the big screen. This book follows Freya and her guy best friend, Mac, who have been platonic besties for years, until a deal is made between them that changes everything. Very quickly you're rooting for this adorable, quirky, heart-warming couple, and waiting to see where the story takes them. There are some tear-jerker moments, as well, which I wasn't expecting!

Click here to read Freya and Mac's story.

6. One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London

My rating: 3.5/5 stars

My spice rating: 1.5/5 flames

A few fellow plus-sized influencers talked about this book on their pages, so I decided to pick up a copy and give it a try. It has similar vibes to If The Shoe Fits, where it features a plus-sized woman on a Bachelor-esque reality show, who loves fashion and style. I don't want to give away anything about the men, because part of the story is who she falls in love with while on the show, but I promise it has a happily ever after! The main character, Bea, goes through a lot of self-discovery through this book, and is met with plenty of surprises and twists on her journey on the reality show. I think this was the author's first novel, and there were a few aspects of the writing I didn't love, but I still enjoyed reading this book. If you're a fan of The Bachelorette, definitely give this book a try!

Click here to read Bea's story.

7. Set On You by Amy Lea

My rating: 5/5 stars

My spice rating: 3/5 flames

I couldn't get enough of Set on You! It's such a sweet, quirky love story with a few unexpected twists along the way, and a steamy gym locker room scene that lives in my mind rent free. It centers around Crystal, a curvy fitness influencer who I wish was my friend in real life. She's confident and strong, and I love the fact that she's dedicated to creating space for bigger bodies in the health and fitness world. She meets the main male character, Scott, and is less than enchanted to meet him, but I won't tell you much more than that. Scott is such a dreamy hero, and I love how much he's obsessed with Crystal's body. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Set on You.

Click here to read Crystal and Scott's story.

8. Weightless by Kandi Steiner

My rating: 4/5 (I wanted to give it 5 stars, but you'll see why I couldn't.)

My spice rating: 3.5/5

Out of all of the books on this list, this one is definitely the one with a deeper, more dramatic storyline. But I do have to say, as much I loved this book, I also grew really frustrated with it. It was a constant push-pull for me, but I still wanted to include it on this list, because there were parts that I really liked. I really enjoyed the love story between Natalie and Rhodes, and Rhodes is a freaking perfect book boyfriend. I also loved that there was a mystery throughout this book, and it took a darker turn at times that had me on the edge of my seat. But my biggest frustration came from the fatphobic themes in this book. Natalie is a curvy girl and is desperate to lose weight to be accepted by her peers, and battles a lot of self-esteem issues based on her looks. Here's where it really frustrated me: throughout the book she starts to lose weight, and slowly starts to love herself again. Needless to say this really upset me, and I wish Kandi Steiner had gone a different route with it. There's a lot more I could say about this theme, but I'll just end it by saying not to completely write it off, but know that going in.

Click here to read Natalie and Rhode's story.